Seed sorting machine



1937- L.. A. MEDCALF SEED SORTING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,068,146 SEEDSORTING MACHINE Lee A. Medcalf, Fairgrove, Mich.

Application May 11, 1935, Serial No. 20,931

5 Claims. (Cl. 209-112) This invention relates to seed sorting machines,and more particularly to a machine for separating good beans, peas, orsimilar products from the culls, splits, and otherwise imperfectproduct.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a sorting machineof simple and substantial construction, which can be built in units sothat any number of units may be added to provide the desired capacity.

Another object is to provide a flat, tablelike, revolving machine andprovide scrapers on the face thereof forseparating and directing theproduct into individual receptacles.

A further object is to provide a sectional roller so mounted andarranged that it rolls on the face of the disc for agitating the productcoming in contact therewith so that the smooth, properly shaped goodproduct will roll and be separated from the imperfect product.

A further object still is to provide new and novel sectional scrapermeans, which will closely hug the surface of the disc, and which willautomatically accommodate itself to any unevenness of surface.

The above and other objects will appear as the specification progresses,reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which I have shownthe preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which like referencenumerals indicate like parts throughout the several views thereof.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improvedsorting machine, showing but one disc, the outer frame being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine and frame, the arrows showingthe direction of travel of the product.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of one of the sectional scrapers.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

' Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side View of one of the sectional rollers. I

Fig. '7 is an end view, the broken lines showing one of the rollersections raised to accommodate a split.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the adjustable scraper.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view, the broken lines showing one position ofadjustment.

While the machine can be utilized for various products, I shall show anddescribe it as set for sorting beans.

Beans when perfectly formed, developed, and ripe are of a round,slightly oblong shape, and will readily roll on a flat table or surfaceif it is gently agitated or if the table is slightly tilted, while thecracked, broken, or irregular product and foreign matter liesstationary.

The perfect product, of course, commands the top price, while the brokenand cracked product brings a much reduced figure, and it is the obj ectof the present invention to design a machine which will closely pick andsort the beans into different grades, thereby eliminating screening andeffecting an accurate separation of the product.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which I have shownthe preferred embodiment of my invention in the form of a single discmachine, this comprises a preferably cast frame l provided with bearingsII and I2 as usual, and in which a vertically disposed shaft I3 isadapted to be journaled, a cone-shaped member l4 being fitted on theupper end of the hollow shaft, the upper end being flanged as at l 5,and a flat disc or table It is securely mounted thereon.

I wish to direct particular attention to the fact that this disc is setat an angle of approximately twenty degrees, so that the product rollsas the machine is operated. A frame I! surrounds the disc l6, and theend of the scraper members l8 and I9 respectively are secured thereto,inclined wings 20 being provided on the scraper I9 to direct the productinwardly and away from the face of the scraper blade. These scrapers areformed as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, and of the drawings, and comprisea channel-shaped member 2| in which a plurality of relatively shortblock members 22 are mounted, these blocks being loosely mounted thereinto permit them to rise and fall to compensate for any slight waves,bulges, or unevenness in the face of the disc [6.

The numeral 23 indicates the feed spout through which the product is fedonto the disc, a rim 24 being provided on the disc and extends inwardlyover the face of the disc as shown at 25, so that the product isdeflected inwardly toward the center of the discand prevents spillageover the edge. a

A stay or brace 26 is secured to the scraper l8 and to the frame, andbrackets ,21 are secured to the lower face thereof, a shaft 28 beingmounted thereon, and a plurality of washers 29' are loosely mounted onsaid shaft, the openings in said washers being larger than the shaft, sothat a limited vertical movement is possible.

An adjustable scraper member 30 is mounted on the disc substantially atright angles to the scrapers l8 and I9, and is formed in substantiallythe same manner, a curved lip 3i projecting from the side of thescraper, the outer end beyond the lip being relatively narrow and isspaced above the face of the disc so that it does not contact orinterfere with the product carried on the said disc, said narrow endterminating in a handle 32 to facilitate adjustment, the opposite endbeing bent at an angle as shown, this scraper being mounted on thescrapers I8 and I9 and is capable of endwise adjustment to suit theproduct being sorted.

The ends of the scrapers l8 and [9 which project beyond the scraper 30are also spaced above the face of the disc, the blocks being eliminatedso that there is no interference with the product carried on the disc. Q

A centrally disposed opening 33 is provided in the disc and opens to thecone-shaped member 14, a rim 34 partially surrounding said opening sothat the product is directed outwardly and against the scraper l 9.

Another sectional roller 35 is mounted on the disc [6 between thescrapers l8 and [9 and is mounted and formed of washer members inexactly the same manner as is the roller previously described, a hopper38 being provided adjacent the outer end of the scraper l9, and a largerhopper 31 is provided on the opposite edge to receive the cracked,broken product which is deflected by the scraper 30.

The disc is driven by means of a drive shaft 38 which is connected to asuitable source of power; this is journaledin a bearing 39 provided onthe frame In, and a bevel gear) is mounted thereon, said gear meshingwith and driving a bevel gear 4| which is mounted on the hollow shaftl3, and while in the present instance I have shown but a single disc, itwill beobvious that any reasonable number may be added to secure thedesired capacity. 7 i

As the product 'is fed onto the disc which revolves in the directionindicated by the arrows, the perfect product rolls downwardly towardsthe scraper l8, and is carried across and against the scraper 30. Theroller members serve as agitating members, and roll the good productwhich may be carried up so that it also rolls down and against thescraper I8, gradually working towards the center of the disc and againstthe scraper 30. The cracked, broken product and other foreign mattertravels beneath the roller and is carried around and outside of thecurved lip 3|, thence passing beneath the raised ends of the members l8and I9, and then being scraped off by the outer edge of the scraper 30and into the hopper 31.

The perfect product which readily rolls on a slightly inclined flatsurface is carried against .the side of the scraper 30, and thencearound the lip 31 and against the scraper 19, the lips 20 deflecting theproduct inwardly so that it is properly spread. The perfect producttravels along and is deflected into the hopper 36; any shriveled,irregular shaped beans pass beneath the roller 35 and against the sideof the scraper l8, thence working inwardly toward the center and finallydischarging intothe cone-shaped shell l4 and dropping into a suitablereceptacle 42.

The fact that the disc is tilted causes the perfect product to roll asthe disc revolves, and by adjusting the scraper 30 it will be obviousthat the closeness of the picking or sorting can be readily controlled.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that I have perfecteda Very simple, practical, and efficient sorting device for sortingbeans, peas, and similar products.

What I claim is:

l. A sorting device of the class described and including a frame, a flatdisc, a feed spout for feeding the product to be sorted onto the disc, asectional roller mounted on said frame and riding on the face of thedisc in the path of the product discharged from the feed spout, spacedapart substantially parallel scrapers mounted on the frame, with certainsections engaging the face of the disc, another scraper positioned atright angles to the first mentioned scrapers and adjustable withrelation thereto, a handle on one end of said scraper, the opposite endextending to the edge of the disc to force the product carried onthe'outer section of the disc from the'face thereof, deflecting wings onone of said parallel scrapers, and means-for driving said disc. 7, a V

2. A sorting device of the character described 'and including a frame, afiat disc having a centrally disposed opening therein, spaced apartsubstantially parallel scraper members mounted on said frame and locatedon opposite sides of said opening, said scrapers engaging the face ofthe disc for a portion of their length only, a similar scraper mountedon said disc and positioned at substantially right angles to the firstmentioned scrapers andfadjustable' with relation thereto, a handle onone end of said scraper, the opposite end extending 'to the extreme edgeof the disc to force the imperfect product from the face thereof, asectional roller interposed between said parallel scrapers and disposedin parallel relation thereto, and means for driving said disc.

3'. A sorting device for beans and including a tilted flat disc formedwith a centrally disposed opening thereon, substantially parallelscrapers located on opposite sides of said opening, a deflector on oneof said scrapers and. forming a rim partially surrounding said opening,a similar scraper set at substantially right angles to the firstmentioned scrapers and adjustable with relation thereto, rollers mountedon said disc in I, angles to the first mentioned scrapers and'adjustable with relation thereto, said' scraper being I formed with acurved lip on one end thereof which extends into the path of thetraveling product, with the opposite end extending tothe edge of thedisc, loosely mounted, sectional rollers mounted in the path of theproduct to be sorted, and

means for driving said disc.

5. A sorting machine of the class described and including'a frame, arevolving, tilted, fiat disc mounted thereon and provided with acentrally disposed opening therein, substantially parallel scrapermembers on opposite sides of said opening and including a plurality ofvertically movable blocks, a similar scraper located substantially atright angles to the first mentioned scrapers and adjustable withrelation thereto, said scraper being formed with a curved lip extendinginto the path of the traveling product to cause a heavier or lighterpick, the opposite end extending to the edge of the disc to force theproduct on the outer section of the disc from the face thereof as thedisc revolves, sectional rollers mounted on the disc in the path of theproduct to be sorted and comprising a plurality of relatively thinmembers loosely mounted on a shaft, said scrapers separating the productinto indi vidual hoppers as the machine is operated.

LEE A. MEDCALF.

